GPDA director George Russell says that the FIA has not responded to a statement that the organisation recently issued under the heading “driver misconduct.”
The statement focussed on the FIA’s reaction to issues such as swearing in press conferences, and the drivers’ interactions with President Mohammed ben Sulayem.
It also followed up on earlier queries regarding how fines collected by the FIA are spent.
“I think everybody felt with certain things that have happened over the course of this year that we wanted to sort of stand united,” said Russell.
“At the end of the day, we just want to be transparent with the FIA, and have this dialogue that is happening, and I think the departure of Niels [Wittich] is also a prime example of not being a part of these conversations.
“And ultimately, we only we want to work with the FIA to make the best for the sport that we all love.
“So, I think it’s kind of us now putting the pressure back on them to work with us and work with everyone, including F1 as well, just to maximise this opportunity, which F1 is in at the moment, which is an amazing time to be a part of.”
Asked if there had been a response from the FIA he said: “No. Not at the moment, which I’m a little bit surprised about, to be fair. But maybe there’ll be something to come. Who knows?”
Russell indicated that the drivers felt that going public was the best way to get their message across.
“I think we’ve probably learned from the past that whenever we have spoken up, let’s say internally, it hasn’t gone anywhere,” he admitted. “And as I said, as drivers, we only want the best for the sport.
“We want to improve it, especially on safety grounds, but whenever it comes to, you know, decisions in the race, we only want to help. And it’s been a couple of years now that not much has changed when we have sort of given some views forward.
“And I guess we all wanted to show that we are collectively united. And maybe that will show how seriously we feel as a whole on the subject.”
Regarding the Wittich firing Russell confirmed that the drivers hadn’t been informed before the media announcement.
“We definitely weren’t aware,” he said. “It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody. And it’s a hell of a lot of pressure now onto the new race director. Just three races left.
“Often as drivers, we probably feel like we’re the last to find out this sort of information. And when it involves us kind of directly, it would be nice to be kept in the loop and just have an understanding of what decisions are being made.
“So, yeah, time will tell. I’m sure the new guy will handle the position just fine, but definitely not an easy race for a new race director.
Russell stressed that despite some dissatisfaction with decisions made by Wittich the drivers didn’t necessarily want to see him replaced.
“I can only talk on behalf of myself here as opposed to any of the other drivers, but I think there’s no secret that some were not happy with what was going on in terms of the decisions that were being made,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, I think if they worked together with us, that we could have helped improve the matter.
“And I think sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution. You kind of need to work together to improve the problem. So, let’s see what this new era is going to bring, but every time there is a change, you have to take one step back before you make the two steps forwards.”
Russell also said there has been no word from the FIA regarding the GPDA’s enquiry about where the money collected in fines is spent.
“I think ultimately for us, when we were hearing from the FIA a couple of years ago, when it came to the Presidential elections, they were talking about transparency, talking about where the money is going to be reinvested into grassroots racing, which we’re all in favour for,” he said.
“And of course, when it comes to some of these large fines, there’s a number of drivers on the grid who can comfortably afford these fines. There’s maybe some rookies on the grid that if they’re handed a $1 million fine, you know, they can’t afford this.
“But if we know where that’s being sort of reinvested and if it’s going into grassroots or into some training programs, then we get it. As I said, I think we just want the transparency and understanding of what was promised from the beginning.”
Adam Cooper F1 